String of Pearls
by TyriaT
Summary: What happens between scenes near the end of the Dark Knight Rises. Spoilers for the movie. Bruce/Selina pairing.


**Title:** String of Pearls

**Author:** TyriaT

**Pairing:** BM/Catwoman

**Spoilers:** The Dark Knight Rises

**Comments:** This was completely the fault of my one friend, who decided to discuss how we thought things happened "behind the scenes" so to speak. He thought one way, I thought another. Suddenly, I could feel the bunnies eating my brain. Thanks, as always, go to my long time beta, and the person who got me into writing, LiT, along with a new beta, Gwen, who stepped up nicely and helped me put a polish on things. Funny enough, they both have the same first name. Please, please, please give me feedback, so I know if I'm hitting the mark, or have to go back to the drawing board.

**Disclaimer: **No, they are not mine. Oh, if only they were mine….

o************************o

Selena Kyle was relaxing on a beach in Tahiti. Most of the people could be seen in their bathing suits, relaxing on lounges or towels all along the beach. Selena, although still technically on the beach, was in a chair just a few feet from the bricks surrounding the pool. She sported a pair of tan shorts, a light sleeveless rose blouse, sunglasses and her new favorite hat.

She looked out at the Pacific as she thought back to her last few days in Gotham. After the explosion of the plane without auto-pilot, her heart had sunk. Watching the ball of fire dissipate, Selena could feel the metaphorical drops falling. A survivor and always adaptable, she had a hidden stash of jewels and cash for a rainy day. Besides, she had the perfect excuse to leave Gotham: a program wiping her slate completely clean for a brand new start in a different place, where no one knew who she was.

She had been staying at a hotel right on the beach for a little over two weeks now, and was completely enjoying herself.

Selena sighed. _Oh, who was she kidding?_ She was not completely enjoying herself anymore. At first, it was fun to laze around on a lounge chair at the beach, but after a while, the sand and the sea became monotonous.

Four times today alone, she caught herself sizing up people, and making plans to separate them from their wealth. If she gave in to her instincts, she would once again find herself with a record and no way to erase it. The program she used self-destructed as soon as her name was gone from every database, and Selena had no means of duplicating it.

She wanted a fresh start, but apparently she should have picked a better place to start from.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hiro, her favorite waiter, making his way through the maze of lounges. Balanced perfectly upon his hand was a tray carrying, not the drink he usually brought her, but an envelope and a small box. Wondering who the package could be for, Selena was surprised when he stopped beside her chair, bowed slightly while presenting her the tray, and said, "A delivery for you, Miss."

Sitting up straighter, she questioned, "Are you sure it's for me?"

He kept his position while replying. "Oh yes. The gentleman described you perfectly. He was most insistent."

Selena groaned inwardly. Another reason for her restlessness had been the unwanted attention she received from the varied males visiting the isle. There were drinks, flowers, and, yes, even expensive presents, given to her almost daily. She always looked upon what she was given, but promptly returned them to the purchaser.

"Which gentleman gave this to you, Hiro?"

Hiro shook his head. "I am not to tell you, until you have accepted the gift."

"All right." Selena took the envelope off the tray, and noticed it was addressed "To The Cat". Her brow wrinkling in confusion, she opened the flap, and read what was inside.

Selena,

I know how much you coveted these, so I made sure to return

them to you. They really do look much better around your neck.

Her lips opened slightly in shock. _Is it…but it couldn't be. He died in that machine. But who else could it be? Who else would know?_ Needing to know, she quickly grabbed the box and opened it, to find the string of pearls sitting cushioned, waiting to be put on.

"Where…" Selena had to clear her throat in order to get the words past the surprise halting her speech. "Where is he?"

Hiro bowed. "I will take you to him."

He led her back through the lounges, around the pool, and into the café attached to the hotel, where the tables with umbrellas were scattered. Her eyes scanned the area, and she quickly found his figure clothed in a short sleeved white Panama shirt with the top two buttons undone, khaki shorts, and loafers. He was lounging back, reading a paper, while absently sipping his drink. He hadn't seen them yet, but Selena was sure it wouldn't take him long to notice their approach.

She was right. Almost as soon as she noticed him, he gave a small smile and licked his lips to hide the action. She dismissed Hiro, and continued forward, walking alone.

Shaking her head, she stopped at his table. "Bruce Wayne. I must say, it is a shock to see you alive, especially after you were supposed to be dead…for the second time."

Slowly he folded the newspaper. "The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated." He said, giving her that smug little smirk, as he looked up into her eyes. Bruce motioned to a chair. "Join me, will you?"

Selena sat down, and placed her hat, letter and gift upon the table. "I take it the auto-pilot…"

"Was fixed, yes. Did I neglect to mention that?" His eyes shone with amusement as he sipped his coffee before continuing. "I needed to disappear myself. Too many people knew Bruce Wayne was also Batman, and since you had the only copy of the life erasing program…"

"Pretending to kill yourself to save thousands of lives could be seen as a little extreme, Bruce."

Bruce shrugged and took another sip of his coffee as he looked her over. "So, apparently I was mistaken. You don't like them?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You don't like them."

"Don't like what?"

"The pearls. My mother's pearls. You don't like them."

"No, I just haven't put them on yet."

"It didn't take you long in the manor."

"Yes, well, I've had a bit of a shock, Bruce."

He smiled. "Allow me." He walked behind her, placed the jewelry upon her neck and closed the clasp, allowing his hands to slide down her neck to rest on her shoulders. "There. Beautiful."

Selena turned her head to ask him a question which quickly left her mind when she saw the passion smoldering in his eyes. "Bruce…"

Placing one hand against her cheek, he turned her head slightly further, and leaned down to kiss her. Selena quickly responded, and the kiss became heated. She turned her body toward his, as Bruce knelt at her feet. "Selena," he said hoarsely when the kiss had ended. "You always force men to their knees?"

She captured his mouth this time, sliding her tongue between his lips to duel with his tongue before ending the kiss and responding. "I was not the infamous womanizer."

Another kiss, this time his lips left hers to nip and lick along her jaw to her ear. "How about we continue this in a more private setting?"

"Yes," she sighed.

Bruce stood up, his hand finding and clasping onto hers as he led them into the hotel, and over to the elevators. Their hands and their eyes were the only things touching while they waited on the car to arrive. Once it did, Bruce led them through the open doors, and pushed the button. Turning against the back wall of the car, he watched as Selena kept slowly walking to him. Until, as the doors closed, her body was pressed up against his, and she once again captured his mouth.

She ended the kiss and backed away as the elevator slowed, and the doors opened. Bruce chuckled as Selena took the lead out of the elevator. "That seemed practiced."

"I've never pretended to be innocent," she smirked. "That damper the mood?"

Bruce's gaze smoldered again. "Absolutely not."

Selena smiled and paused once Bruce cleared the doors. "Your room?"

"Two floors up."

The corners of her lips rose a fraction higher in acknowledgement of his detective skills. "Mine then." She turned in order to keep from walking backward, and paused, only momentarily, to unlock her door.

Their hands were still intertwined as Bruce walked past the door, so all Selena had to do after she locked the door was give a tug, and Bruce was pulled into her embrace. Their lips crashed together. Their tongues met, danced, and slid away. Bruce slid his hands into her hair to keep her head still as he explored her mouth, her face, and her chin. Selena ran her hands down his chest and around to his back, where one hand slid to his shoulder blades, while the other slid down to his waist and pulled his lower body between her now spread legs. Bruce let out a grunt against her neck, as Selena wrapped her foot against one leg, and slid it up his calve, bringing their lower bodies tighter together and rubbing him in all the right ways.

Bruce moved his hands from her hair, down her chest, to the hem of her shirt, where he quickly pulled the material off over her head, and threw it behind him. He then did the same with his. Selena's fingers slid and pushed along his skin and against the muscles and the scars in his back and sides. His hands ghosted over the soft skin of her shoulder and chest, until he came to her bra. Bruce cupped her breasts through the material, then slid his fingers around them, running his thumbs over her nipples, before trailing them to the front clasp. When it was released, he allowed the material to fall away. Kissing his way from her neck, he nipped and kissed around the base of each breast before allowing his tongue to capture one nipple and suck it into his mouth.

Selena moaned and her head fell back against the door. She slid the fingers exploring his back along the waistline of his shorts to the front button and zipper. Bruce released her nipple on a gasp, when her fingers ran along the length of his shaft before pulling the zipper down and allowing the shorts to fall. She pulled his boxers down while he made quick work of the rest of her clothing. Their mouths clashed together in need. Once they were both naked, Bruce put his hands at the very top of her thighs and lifted her. Selena took her feet off the floor and wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, as he carried them to the bed.

Bruce was able to crawl to the middle of the bed, because of the tight hold Selena had with her legs, arms and lips. Slowly, he lowered her to the sheets and began exploring her body in earnest, as Selena did the same. When they were both panting with need and exertion, Selena pulled her head away.

"Bruce," she purred. "Show me how alive you really are."

He spent the rest of the night doing just that.

o*********************************o

The smell of coffee and food roused Selena the next morning. She stretched languorously, before opening her eyes. She heard his laughter before she saw Bruce sitting on the side of the bed with a cup of coffee held out for her.

"You really are like a cat, you know. Lazy, agile, sneaky," he kissed her completely awake, "and very sexy."

She pushed herself into a seated position before taking the cup. "That could be, but I'm not the one with nine lives. Or at least, not the one who needs them." Chuckling, Bruce kissed her again, before going to the trolley room-service had left behind. Selena took a few sips and waited until he returned to the bed before addressing something that bothered her. "Bruce."

"Yes?"

"How did you find me? If the program works as well as you claimed, how were you able to track me here. I've never been to Tahiti before."

He paused thinking over his answer. "I watched you."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "You watched me? How?"

"There was tracking software embedded within the program, so as soon as it was downloaded, I received a signal telling me where you were." He put his cup on the table by the bed, rolled onto his side, and bent his elbow to prop his head on his hand. "I watched the building, until you exited. Followed you to the airport, until I saw you had purchased flights ending in Tahiti, and bought my own ticket." He reached his other hand up to run his fingers along the pearls she still wore. "After I made a detour to pick up these, of course."

Bruce placed his hand at the back of her neck and gently applied pressure to bring her face down for a brief kiss. When she sat back up, he ran his fingers along her forehead, putting a few loose strands behind her ear. "Speaking of watching… I've been noticing you sizing up a few people lately. Thinking of getting back into the business?"

"A girl's gotta stay in practice, don't you think?" giving him that devil-may-care smile of hers.

His face became serious, but not stern. "Honest answer, Selena."

She gave a bark of disbelieving laughter. "Honesty? From you, Mr. the auto-pilot is broken?"

"I explained that one. I needed to disappear." Bruce cupped her cheek gently. "Why?"

Selena sighed and looked away, before looking back into his eyes. "I'm getting bored of the sand, and the ocean, and the island. You know how it is when boredom sets in."

Bruce chuckled. "Yes, I do. This place doesn't quite seem your style." He licked his lips. "What would you say to a trip to Florence?"

"Italy?"

"No, Florence, Alabama." Bruce laughed. "-Yes, Florence, Italy."

"I say, 'When do we pack?'" Selena leaned down and captured his mouth in a long kiss full of excitement for their new relationship and the beginning of a new life.


End file.
